poverty
1. Stoke has a problem with areas suffering from poverty, high levels of deprivation and unemployment. A recent report in a local paper indicated that over 1 in 5 of local residents are on benefits. 2. Climate Change is one of the most important policy questions driving government action. All political parties are signed up to the agenda and targets to reduce carbon emissions.
Thomas Paine has always been a great hero of mine and before anyone asks what is the relevance of this to the 21st century that I invoke the shade of an 18th century figure bear with me
Working at a till at a checkout gives you a unique perspective on British society. For one thing most people use supermarkets and over a 4-hour period it is likely that you will see approaching 200 people. Some will be well off and the people on limited incomes will arrive late with the hope of getting some late bargains. Over the course of a day you will see many people engaging in consumerism.
There is a pleasant country walk that goes from the Haregate Estate in Leek to Tittesworth Lake. It takes about an hour to do and there are excellent views over to the Roaches. Along the walk are a series of benches, which have been provided by the local PCT so that people can sit and admire the views. Cut into the 8 benches is a series of health promotion messages about obesity and exercise and the need to raise your heart beat.
The DWP has recently released data on the impact of the recession on the low waged.
I went to an event organised by the Council for Voluntary Service in Hanley this week. The CVS are looking to recruit about 15 “Community Buddies” to do something to tackle worklessness in the 40 odd wards in Staffordshire where the unemployment rate is over 23%. This is a Staffordshire project as Stoke is considering another approach. 17 people attended and there will be other recruitment events held elsewhere in Staffs.
The figures on the economy have disguised the major increase in the “midworker” an increasing number of people who work part time because the job markets remain flat. There has been a 45% increase in part time workers since the recession began. New research says that the number of people who have taken part time jobs because of the lack of full time jobs has increased to record levels. It may well lead to a generation of workers in jobs who can barely enough to meet expenses.
David Cameron writes today in the Guardian that Public sector chiefs earning hundreds of thousands of pounds a year would have their salaries cut back by a Conservative government under a radical scheme to link their earnings to the lowest-paid workers in their organisation. The Leader of the Tories suggests a difference of 20 times between the highest and lowest paid worker in the public sector
Its Good Friday and the most solemn , reflective day in the Christian calendar. One of the products of having a 6-year-old daughter attending a church school is that you are often called to answer some metaphysical questions on God and Jesus. Over recent months these questions have ranged from where does God Sleep to why does God allow bad things to children. This was after the Haiti earthquake.
The Job Centre is a 100 years old this month. The Observer had a feature on this auspicous anniversary last week. The piece mentioned the role that Winston Churchil the then Liberal President of the Board of Trade had in founding the Labour Exchange as it was then called although the history of the Job Centre/ Labour Exchange goes back further than that.
